


The Seventh Inning Stretch

by mcgarrygirl78



Series: My Boss's Niece [5]
Category: The West Wing
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-28
Updated: 2016-04-28
Packaged: 2018-06-05 02:45:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6686029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If his heart were broken once more not all the Krazy glue on the planet could repair it.  This was his last chance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Seventh Inning Stretch

"Donna? Oh Donna, my darling."

Josh walked into her office on a rainy office April morning. He was using his singsong voice. The Second Lady's Deputy Chief of Staff was not impressed.

"Save it Josh."

"We really don't want her to do this. Not for forever, just not today. The President…"

"Oh you mean President Santos, who is sitting in the Oval Office because of 62% of the 18-49 female vote. It's kind of early for that drive to the middle of the road."

Josh looked at her with an incredulous face. This could not possibly be the girl he found in his office in Manchester…the girl who begged for a job, a new beginning. He hardly recognized her.

"Donna, this is not even her platform. Alzheimer's research is her platform."

"Oh please, CJ has a lot of platforms. You know that women's issues have always been on the front burner for her. She is not going to keep her mouth shut like the last Administration…even more people are listening now."

"So you incite!" Josh exclaimed.

"Incite? Spare me; it is an ad for Amnesty International. You are not going to shut her up anymore. Now I have a staff meeting, so could you please excuse me?"

Hogan walked into the office, laying out binders, papers, coffee, and muffins. Josh looked at her; they'd hardly spoken in two weeks; for a month, things were strained. He didn't know what was going on with her but their relationship was certainly at a low point. He snapped back to reality as she walked by and left a trail of Gap Heaven in her wake.

"I need to speak to Nora." He said.

"She's not back yet…she and the Second Lady are in Richmond. Hey Hogan?"

The younger woman came to stand beside Josh in the office.

"What's up?"

"When are Nora and CJ back from Virginia?" Donna asked.

"Um, I think around four. They're always reachable by cell phone. Is the man in the process of putting their boots in our backs?"

"Something like that." she turned her back to Josh. "I have staff in five minutes. The Vice-President and Second Lady have made a few agreements so there are going to be many sticky situations between our two offices. I'm sorry."

"Yeah. Thanks Donna."

Hogan walked off as the staff filtered in. Josh followed her.

"Are you and at me?" he asked her back.

"No. I am very busy and I need sleep at night. I don't have the time or energy to spend my nights with you."

"That hurt." Josh whispered.

"Yeah. It does."

"What's the matter with you Hogan?"

"Nothing. I have a lot of work to do….take a look at my desk."

"So, dinner tonight is out of the question?" he asked.

"I'm sure you'll have plenty of things that will keep you away."

"Hogan…"

"Don't." she held up her hand. "We both have plenty of work to do, you don't want anyone to see us together, and I can't cry anymore. I have too much work to do."

"Crying? Sweetie, you've been…"

"Josh, stop."

Not knowing what else to say, she walked back to her desk. Josh sighed and walked back to the West Wing.

***

He tried to fight it as long as he could, but after he and the President met with the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Josh sat down on the couch and called Hogan. Anassa was not sure what he was doing but she knew he needed 15 minutes of privacy. Every man deserved one hour a day of solitude at his job. Some days Josh was able to squeeze it in if he took it in 15 minutes increments.

"Hello."

"I want you to talk to me now." He said.

"I'm at lunch so that is not going to happen."

"Hogan, please."

She sighed and Josh heard her excuse herself from the table.

"I cannot do this right now."

"See me tonight…why is everything falling apart?"

"I am tired…" Hogan's voice cracked. "Look, I will see you tonight. Now I have to go."

Hogan hung up before Josh could say anything else. What was happening? A year and a half they had been happy. Now it all seemed to be crumbling in his hands and beneath his feet. He dialed another number.

"Yeah?"

"Tell me you have 10 minutes or so to deal with my neuroses." Josh said.

"Not really, but it is the excuse I need to stop looking at grain growth and distribution numbers. We're courting the Midwest."

"Meet me outside by the peanut guy."

"Yeah."

They both hung up and Josh took a deep breath. He went out to Anassa's desk.

"I have an emergency meeting." He said.

"Josh, there is nothing on your schedule."

"Yeah. It just came up."

"OK. I don't know what you're up to and that's fine. If it's personal, it is certainly none of my business. But you better be back by 1:30 because Nancy McNally does not wait for anyone."

Josh looked at his watch; it was quarter to one.

"I'll be back. Cross my heart."

He went to the door but Anassa's voice stopped him.

"I know that it's a secret but I know about her Josh. If you need a woman's advice, I would be glad to help. What do you think Charlie knows that you don't?"

"A lot, believe me. He's been my wingman on countless missions. I appreciate it Anassa, I do, and I won't bother to ask how you figured it out."

"We are together about 12 hours a day; and your poker face sucks."

Josh smiled. He rushed out of the office and out into the rain. Damn! Paying $5 to the umbrella guy across the street Josh stood by the peanut roaster vendor.

"Sorry I'm late. What's happening?"

"What do you think? Actually, I don't know. I haven't seen her in two weeks. Every time I try to talk to her, I get either the brush off or the shut down. I know something is wrong but I can't get her to talk to me. I thought of just showing up at her place but…"

"But what?" Charlie asked.

"I'm afraid she might not be alone Charlie."

"She's cheating? You think she is seeing someone else?"

"There are definitely enough guys around here. She's an attractive, intelligent woman and it was only a matter of time before my ridiculous schedule got to her. She needs a guy who's going to give her time and attention."

"Are you insane? Listen to yourself. No matter how long you kept her waiting Josh, stepping out is stepping out. I am speaking from experience here. When Zoey couldn't take the vampire hours anymore, she ended it. She invited me to the Georgetown Diner and we talked about it like adults. If Hogan does not break up with you properly and is seeing another man, she is cheating. If that is the case she has no respect for you, and certainly does not love you."

Josh took a deep breath. As harsh as it sounded, he knew Charlie was right. He would never forgive Hogan if she did that to him. Sure, they were having their share of problems but didn't she still love him? Falling out of love was more difficult than falling in. In a few months, Joshua Lyman would be 44 years old. If his heart were broken once more not all the Krazy glue on the planet would repair it. This was his last chance.

"What kind of 007 espionage is happening out here?"

Josh whirled around when he heard her voice. "When you two put your heads together I fear for small countries. Hey Charlie."

"Hey. Who needs Portugal anyway?" he asked.

"See, I was thinking the Federated States of Micronesia." Josh replied.

They pounded fists and Charlie began his jog to the White House. Josh pulled Hogan under his umbrella as she put hers down.

"I don't have a lot of time." Josh said. "Nancy McNally does not like to be kept waiting."

"You never have a lot of time. I forgot when we talked on the phone that I have plans tonight. It is a birthday party for a friend. I don't know when I'm going to be done."

"Oh, OK. Maybe tomorrow or something."

"Yeah maybe." Hogan replied.

"What is the matter? We need to talk Hogan and I'm not going to let you push me away for much longer. If you don't want to be a part of this anymore, say so. Say it right now and we can forget it."

She reached to take his hand in hers.

"No Josh, of course not. A lot is going on for me right now."

"Talk to me." He pleaded.

"I can't; Nancy McNally does not like to be kept waiting. I'll try to call you tonight if it is not too late."

"I love you Hogan."

"Me too."

She stepped from under the shield of his umbrella and walked back to the White House.

***

"OK." Josh sat on Anassa's desk and looked at her. It was seven o'clock.

"OK what?"

"Let's say I ask you a series of questions, hypothetical questions of course."

"Of course."

"Right. So if I ask you these hypothetical questions and get some advice, for a friend, we can pretend this conversation never took place?"

"Of course. Ask away."

"So, hypothetically there is this guy who is seeing this girl. She is younger than he is and nobody really knows they are seeing each other because her family is important and they don't want the firestorm. It has been a year and a half and things were fine but lately, let's say the past month, things are out of place. She is avoiding his calls, not wanting to see him, and hardly speaking to him. What do you think?"

"Honestly, it is one of two things. She's younger right? So maybe she is getting scared. The relationship is serious now and she has to be a grownup and make grownup decisions that may be hard for a girl in her 20s."

"Or?" Josh pressed, ignoring the fact that Anassa seemed to know who he was talking about.

"She's seeing someone else…or contemplating it. Her friends, many who may or may not know about the secret guy, are encouraging her to get out more. She has mixed feelings and doesn't want life to pass her by as she waits for midnight trysts. She feels like a mistress though she is not one, and no one ever wants to feel like that. She won't share these things with you because she feels you're already busy enough and God forbid you had anything else to feel guilty about."

"Christ." Josh muttered under his breath. "Are you sure?"

"Not positive; I'm not Oprah. I am just a woman who knows about women."

"Well, how do I find out for sure?" he asked frantically.

"Go to her place tonight…wait for her. You may not like what you see but its better to have it all out in the open then to have you slowly go insane." Anassa replied.

"You're right. If you found out Lionel cheated…"

"You'd see me on the news. Its altogether possible you'd be getting a late night bail money call."

Josh snickered. He believed her. He knew Lionel knew it too.

***

"Hey there."

Donna walked into Josh's office. He wondered if CJ was posing in Playboy now; kick a man when he was down.

"Hi Donna."

"I came to apologize for this morning. I meant every word of it but I definitely didn't need to be so short with you. CJ's agenda is my job now Josh, not taking care of you."

"I know. Anassa is doing a fantastic job. We get along great."

Donna smiled. She'd handpicked Anassa, though Josh didn't know that. He needed to be taken care of but did not like to know he was being taken care of.

"Is something the matter Josh?" she asked.

"Nope." He replied.

Donna could read him like a book and right now he hated that.

"Are you sure, because I will help if I can. Just because I am no longer your assistant doesn't mean I don't care."

"How's Cliff?"

"Good, really good. I love him Josh."

Now he gave her a small smile, though it seemed sad.

"That's terrific. I am so happy for you. Well, I have a lot of work to do so…maybe I'll see you later."

"OK."

Donna didn't move and Anassa came into the room with papers for signature.

"Hey Donna. How are things in the Second Lady's office?"

"Terrific. There is going to be a food and clothing drive for the victims of the 12th Street projects fire on Sunday. Alpha Sigma Tau of Georgetown and American are sponsoring it and CJ has agreed to lend her face and name to the project. We would love it if you and Eden came down."

"Sounds great. Where?"

"The quad at Georgetown, starting at 11. See you Josh."

"Bye Donna. Have a good night."

She left the office. Josh sighed, signing all the papers he needed. He pushed his chair back.

"I really don't feel well; I think I need to go home."

"Is that code?" Anassa asked.

Josh had never used a sick day and hardly any vacation since the days he worked on the House floor. Whether you liked him or despised him, Josh Lyman's work ethic was legend on the Hill.

"No. It is after ten and the President went to the residence early for college basketball."

"OK. Well, get out of here. I have a few things to wrap up and then I will go too."

Josh nodded. She worked too many hours to be the mother of a first grader. Anassa was a serious example of the hardworking American woman and more needed to be done for her and her brethren.

"You have a strange look on your face." Her voice brought him back to reality. "Introspective. You OK?"

"Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow."

"OK. Stay dry."

***

He heard her laugh before he saw her. Hogan opened her door and a guy walked in with her. Josh's heart dropped into his shoes. It was 1a.m. and she brought a guy home.

"Hey." Somehow he found his voice.

Both Hogan and her male companion jumped.

"I hope you know this guy Hogan." The guy said.

"She knows me." Josh replied.

Suddenly he felt old and tired. This guy was obviously in his 20s, physically fit, and handsome with his trendy haircut and clothes. Standing side by side he and Hogan looked like an ad for Urban Outfitters or the Gap.

"Justin, this is Josh. Josh, Justin."

There were no handshakes, just more staring. Justin cleared his throat.

"Obviously this is not a good time. I am sure we can pick this up where we left off later."

"Yeah. C'mon, let me walk you out."

Hogan took him back out into the hallway and stayed out there a while. At first Josh thought she might have left with the guy. He was afraid to open the door, afraid of finding them in a passionate embrace. She finally came in and Josh jumped off the couch.

"Who was the male model?" he asked.

"You have no damn right to just be in my apartment like this! Who the hell do you think you are?"

"I thought I was your boyfriend. For two weeks I have not gotten a hello or a goodbye out of you. Has Jared been taking up your time?"

"His name is Justin, he is a friend, and you are an asshole."

"Guys do not come to a pretty girl's apartment after midnight to discuss Freud or the theory of relativity. Give me a bit of credit; I was trying to get laid once too."

"Justin is a friend Josh! You think I am fucking him cuz I haven't fucked you in two weeks? That is perfect."

"It's more than that." he lowered his voice.

"Like what? You could not possibly miss the conversations we never have or the miniscule quality time."

"What are you talking about? We have plenty of conversation and quality time Hogan."

"When? Josh, you come here or I go to your place and all you have time to do is jump up and down on top of me and go to sleep."

Josh cringed at the harshness of her description. Is that how she felt about their lovemaking lately…had it become a chore? She went into the kitchen and came back with two beers. Handing one to Josh, she flopped down on her couch. He looked at her.

"Have you cheated on me?" he asked.

"I should smack you. I would never do anything like that. A two-week dry spell and you have me painted as the infidel. Bravo Lyman."

"Dammit, don't make me out to be the bad guy. One minute we are fine and the next I am out in the cold. Forget sex Hogan, you would not even talk to me. Every phone call was abrupt, every conversation curt. I could only assume the worse."

"Sleeping with someone else is the worse?" she asked.

"It is certainly no cause for ice cream and cake. Losing you is the worse…you falling out of love with me."

"I love you so much Josh." She lit a cigarette. "That's why I…"

"What? Just say it."

"I need to be first, hell a close second. With you I might be willing to take third. Everything in your life comes before me."

"I'm really busy and there is nothing I can do about that. You said you understood that."

"Maybe I thought I did. Maybe its not you at all; maybe it is me."

She looked so fragile right now and Josh wanted nothing more than to put his arms around her.

"I'm going to leave the White House Josh. Justin works at the Library of Congress and there are some openings there. I don't want to be in politics anymore. I think it is sucking the life out of me…I see what it does to CJ. They've been good to me, her and Uncle Leo, but I have to go."

"Go where?"

"Be on my own. Get my own job; meet more people. You know, dance and be young."

"It doesn't seem like there is room for me in that equation."

"There is room for you…I am doing it partially for us. We need seriously to separate our personal and professional lives. Isn't it difficult for you too?"

"Sometimes. I love you. My life is busy and complicated, but you are the balance. When I thought I was losing you it turned me upside down."

He finally put his arms around her, relaxing on the couch.

"Leo lost his first wife to the job." He said. "I still really have no idea how he and CJ make it everyday. We have to make some changes."

"OK."

"We are going to start by spending more time together. We're going out too. To the movies, to dinner, a show, the park…lets take a long weekend in New England."

"As long as it's not Manchester." Hogan replied.

Josh smirked as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"I promise."

"I applied for a fellowship to study Tudor England." Hogan said.

"Where? NYU?'

"No."

"Berkeley? Harvard?"

"Oxford Josh."

"Please don't tell me you mean Oxford University in Oxford, Oxford." Josh said.

"Yeah. It's from September to June, though I doubt I will get it."

"When did you do this? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Josh it is midterm election time; you hardly have time to shower. My professor from Vassar sent in the application for me. 1000 people apply yearly for ten spots. I am not going to get picked."

Hogan graduated magna cum laude from Vassar. She was heavy into volunteer work, was a sister of Sigma Sigma Sigma, and a finalist for a Rhodes Scholarship. If you add that she was the Vice-President's niece, she had the fellowship in the bag. Josh could feel her slipping away and he tightened his arms around her.

"I need another cigarette." She said, sitting up. "This past hour has been draining."

"I need to get some sleep." Josh said. He stretched and then ran his hands through his hair. "If you don't mind I am going to the bedroom."

Hogan leaned to kiss his mouth. Josh felt the usual course of electricity go through him and it made him shudder.

"I'll be in a little while. Take a shower or something, you smell like ass."

Josh pulled her chin back to his, kissing her again.

"Hurry sweetie."

Hogan smiled. She did not want to make love; she wanted to be held. She wanted to feel Josh's arms around her…his love seeping through his embrace. Hogan took a deep inhale and tried to control her shaking. She had come so close to losing him tonight because she could not express herself better. She did not know how to say 'I love you Josh and I hate that we don't spend enough time together'. She was afraid that if she put too much pressure on him he would run like everyone else…even when they said they loved you they ran anyway. Sighing, Hogan took another sip of beer and finished her smoke. Then she went into the bedroom.

He must have been tired; Josh Lyman rarely slept on his stomach. He also did not heed her shower advice. She undressed in the dark so not to disturb him. The open window brought in the breeze and light rain as Hogan climbed between the sheets. She wrapped her arms around his back; he sighed contently before pulling her closer.

"I love you so much." He whispered and kissed her on the lips.

"Goodnight Lyman. I love you too."

***

"Can you believe it is still raining?"

Josh rubbed his eyes then ran his fingers down Hogan's naked back. It was quarter to six and he needed to get to work…but he needed to be with her more. He molded her body to his, sliding his had around to caress her breasts.

"I missed you sweetie."

"Well, could you miss me until later tonight? I'm so tired."

"OK. I don't know if we are going to be able to see each other tonight."

"It's OK." She turned to face him. "Wanna little taste of how good I am going to be to you the next time?"

Josh could not control his grin as he nodded vigorously. The smile stayed as Hogan went under the covers and took his half erect cock in her mouth.

"Oh God. Hogan, that feels so good."

Josh pushed the sheets down, running his fingers through her hair.

"Ooh yeah, damn that is…oh baby!"

He groaned and climaxed, falling back on the bed. She smiled and climbed on top of him.

"You love me?" she asked.

Josh pulled her down into a passionate kiss. He honestly hated the taste on her mouth but when he was kissing Hogan that didn't seem to matter. He kissed her until he could taste her again. She pulled away, running her hands down his chest and lingering on his scars from all those years ago.

"I'm sorry Josh."

"We're going to be alright. I mean it."

Hogan nodded.

"I just…when I think…"

"Shh."

Josh pulled her down to his chest, holding her tight against him. He could feel her heartbeat on his and her breath in his ear. It comforted him.

"I love you so much and it will not be easy. This is one of those hard times Hogan. You don't have to apologize anymore. But promise me that you will open up to me…I want to…I need to be there for you."

"I thought about running; beating you to the punch. That is so fucked up. Sometimes it's too hard; I have some growing up to do."

"I know. Not being close to you is hard for me too." He kissed her. "I hate to end it like this…"

"No." Hogan sat up. "You have to go to work. Do you have a suit here to throw on?"

"Yeah." Josh threw back the covers, yanking up his boxers. Leaning across the bed he kissed her one more time. "We have to move on from here. You want to, right?"

Hogan nodded, still not sure how to handle her near-betrayal.

"I love you Josh."

He did the full smile, the one with the dimples. That smile made Hogan fall in love with him all over again every time he did it.

"Go back to sleep." He said. "You have some time left."

***


End file.
